GradDip Graduate Diploma in Spanish by Distance Learning

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Study Spanish language and culture at your own pace. Join our virtual learning community and stay in regular contact with your tutors and fellow students.

Overview

Spanish is spoken by over 400 million people worldwide and across a wide range of cultures.

Study Spanish and culture to Graduate Diploma level, at your own pace, when and where you like. Join our ‘virtual’ learning community, in regular contact with your Spanish tutors and fellow students, and attend Immersion Days in Dundee.

Who should study this course?

Are you:

a Secondary Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) teacher who wishes to gain a recognised additional teaching qualification in Spanish?

a Primary, Further or Adult Education teacher who would like to improve their Spanish for teaching purposes?

an advanced student of Spanish (Higher+) who wishes to gain a University Diploma in Spanish for work purposes or for personal interest?

If the answer to any one of the above questions is YES, then this course is for you.

Teachers: this course is accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

There is no requirement for applicants to have an undergraduate degree to study this course, as the modules you study and the credits you gain are not at Masters/postgraduate level.

We have a long established tradition of language teaching here, both with students at the University of Dundee and via distance learning. We use a combination of online tools, including web conferencing, and face-to-face immersion days, to give you a range of experiences in the language.

The Graduate Diploma in Spanish is officially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education which collaborates with the delivery of Diploma Immersion Days at Dundee and also provides valuable materials.

Residence abroad

For those taking the Diploma course as an additional teaching qualification, residence abroad is normally a pre-requisite for GTC(S) registration in Spanish (Secondary). This period of residence has to be arranged by course participants themselves.

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)

Teaching & Assessment

How you will be taught

Experienced staff, including Spanish native speakers, are responsible for the module design, delivery and student support. Take a look at the Staff Profiles to learn more about our Spanish Language Team.

The course is organised into modules of approximately eight weeks duration, which are made up of reading materials and audio information, plus web conferences (using Skype or an equivalent technology). Other online tools include a Discussion Board for formal and informal course discussions.

Four Spanish Immersion Days per academic session are held at the University of Dundee, usually on a Saturday. They provide a chance to meet other course participants, practice oral skills, and participate in a variety of activities in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Students who cannot make it to Dundee can normally join in via Skype

You will be expected to buy the course textbook, a reference grammar book, a good bilingual Spanish-English dictionary, and occasional literary texts.

How you will be assessed

A wide variety of assessment methods are used throughout the course.

The course project consists of an extended essay and a series of lesson plans or equivalent for non-teachers. At the end of the course there is a two and a half hour written examination and an oral examination, both normally held in Dundee, however they can be arranged via Skype if necessary.

What you will study

The course aims to provide the challenge of an undergraduate curriculum in practical Spanish together with learning materials of wide general appeal. The choice of assessments will allow course participants to focus on their own specific interest areas. The course includes:

Grammar and communication skills

themes such as 20th Century literature, education, Spanish and Latin American cinema, and area studies

classroom language learning and teaching (as appropriate)

The course consists of six main elements:

Language

Culture and society

Literature

ICT

Professional studies

Project

Immersion Day activities are varied but include:

Spanish language practice with native speakers

visits from the languages advisor at the Consejería de Educación

IT sessions

workshops on a variety of language and cultural topics.

Progression

“Doing the Distance Learning Diploma in Spanish for Teachers has been the best thing I have ever done professionally. It has opened the door to new opportunities that would never have been available to me otherwise.

The course is really enjoyable, well taught and relevant, not just to teachers, but to a wider audience of people who wish to improve their knowledge of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture. I made many friends with whom I’m still in contact. I cannot recommend this course highly enough.”

Entry Requirements

Applicants will normally have a pass in Higher Spanish (or equivalent, such as the Dundee Intensive Spanish course by distance-learning). If you are a Secondary MFL teacher seeking an additional qualification in Spanish your undergraduate degree should normally be in another Modern Foreign Language, and you should hold a current Secondary MFL teaching qualification.

English Language Requirement

English Language Programmes

We offer Pre-Sessional and Foundation Programme(s) throughout the year. These are designed to prepare you for university study in the UK when you have not yet met the language requirements for direct entry onto a degree programme.